Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide
legal services to those unable to pay. A lawyer should aspire to render at least
50 hours of pro bono publico legal services per year. In fulfilling this
responsibility, the lawyer should:

(a) provide a substantial majority of the 50 hours of legal
services without fee or expectation of fee to:

(a)(1) persons of limited means or

(a)(2) charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental
and educational organizations in matters that are designed primarily to address
the needs of persons of limited means; and

(b) provide any additional services through:

(b)(1) delivery of legal services at no fee or substantially
reduced fee to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect
civil rights, civil liberties or public rights, or charitable, religious, civic,
community, governmental and educational organizations in matters in furtherance
of their organizational purposes, where the payment of standard legal fees would
significantly deplete the organization’s economic resources or would be
otherwise inappropriate;

(b)(2) delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced
fee to persons of limited means; or

(b)(3) participation in activities for improving the law, the
legal system or the legal profession.

(c) A lawyer may also discharge the responsibility to provide
pro bono publico legal services by making an annual contribution of at least $10
per hour for each hour not provided under paragraph (a) or (b) above to an
agency that provides direct services as defined in paragraph (a) above.

(d) Each lawyer is urged to report annually to the Utah State
Bar whether the lawyer has satisfied the lawyer’s professional responsibility to
provide pro bono legal services. Each lawyer may report this information through
a simplified reporting form that is made a part of the Bar’s annual dues
statement.

(e) In addition to providing pro bono legal services , a
lawyer should voluntarily contribute financial support to organizations that
provide legal services to persons of limited means.

Comment

[1] Every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or
professional work load, has a responsibility to provide legal services to those
unable to pay. Personal involvement in the problems of the disadvantaged can be
one of the most rewarding experiences in the life of a lawyer. All lawyers are
urged to provide a minimum of 50 hours of pro bono services annually. It is
recognized that in some years a lawyer may render greater or fewer hours than
the annual standard specified, but during the course of the lawyer’s legal
career, each lawyer should render on average per year, the number of hours set
forth in this Rule. Services can be performed in civil, criminal or
quasi-criminal matters for which there is no government obligation to provide
funds for legal representation, such as post-conviction death penalty appeal
cases.

[2] Paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) recognize the critical need
for legal services that exists among persons of limited means by providing that
a substantial majority of the legal services rendered annually to the
disadvantaged be furnished without fee or expectation of fee. Legal services
under these paragraphs consist of a full range of activities, including
individual and class representation, the provision of legal advice, legislative
lobbying, administrative rule making and the provision of free training or
mentoring to those who represent persons of limited means. The variety of these
activities should facilitate participation by government lawyers, corporate
counsel and others, even when restrictions exist on their engaging in the
outside practice of law.

[3] Persons eligible for legal services under paragraphs
(a)(1) and (a)(2) are those who qualify for participation in programs funded by
the Legal Services Corporation and those whose incomes and financial resources
are slightly above the guidelines utilized by such programs but nevertheless
cannot afford counsel. Legal services can be rendered to individuals or to
organizations such as homeless shelters, battered women's centers and food
pantries that serve those of limited means. The term "governmental
organizations" includes, but is not limited to, public protection programs and
sections of governmental or public sector agencies.

[4] Because service must be provided without fee or
expectation of fee, the intent of the lawyer to render free legal services is
essential for the work performed to fall within the meaning of paragraphs (a)(1)
and (a)(2). Accordingly, services rendered cannot be considered pro bono if an
anticipated fee is uncollected, but the award of statutory attorneys’ fees in a
case originally accepted as pro bono would not disqualify such services from
inclusion under this section. Lawyers who do receive fees in such cases are
encouraged to contribute an appropriate portion of such fees to organizations or
projects that benefit persons of limited means.

[5] While it is possible for a lawyer to fulfill the annual
responsibility to perform pro bono services exclusively through activities
described in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2), to the extent that any hours of
service remain unfulfilled, the remaining commitment can be met in a variety of
ways as set forth in paragraph (b). Constitutional, statutory or regulatory
restrictions may prohibit or impede government and public sector lawyers and
judges from performing the pro bono services outlined in paragraphs (a)(1) and
(a)(2). Accordingly, where those restrictions apply, government and public
sector lawyers and judges may fulfill their pro bono responsibility by
performing services outlined in paragraph (b).

[6] Paragraph (b)(1) includes the provision of certain types
of legal services to those whose incomes and financial resources place them
above limited means. It also permits the pro bono lawyer to accept a
substantially reduced fee for services. Examples of the types of issues that may
be addressed under this paragraph include First Amendment claims, Title VII
claims and environmental protection claims. Additionally, a wide range of
organizations may be represented, including social service, medical research,
cultural and religious groups.

[7] Paragraph (b)(2) covers instances in which lawyers agree
to and receive a modest fee for furnishing pro bono legal services to persons of
limited means. Participation in judicare programs and acceptance of court
appointments in which the fee is substantially below a lawyer's usual rate are
encouraged under this section.

[8] Paragraph (b)(3) recognizes the value of lawyers engaging
in activities that improve the law, the legal system or the legal profession.
Serving on bar association committees, serving on boards of pro bono or legal
services programs, taking part in Law Day and other law related education
activities, acting as a continuing legal education instructor, a mediator or an
arbitrator and engaging in legislative lobbying to improve the law, the legal
system or the profession are a few examples of the many activities that fall
within this paragraph.

[9] Because the provision of pro bono services is a
professional responsibility, it is the individual ethical commitment of each
lawyer. Nevertheless, there may be times when it is not feasible for a lawyer to
engage in pro bono services. At such times a lawyer may discharge the pro bono
responsibility by providing financial support to organizations providing free
legal services to persons of limited means. In addition, at times it may be more
feasible to satisfy the pro bono responsibility collectively, as by a firm's
aggregate pro bono activities.

[9a] The Utah Rule, unlike the Model ABA Rule, contains
paragraph (c), which explicitly allows lawyers to discharge their pro bono
services responsibility by annually contributing at least $10 per hour for each
hour not provided under paragraphs (a) and (b). While the personal involvement
of each lawyer in the provision of pro bono legal services is generally
preferable, such personal involvement may not always be possible. The annual
contribution alternative allows a lawyer to provide financial assistance to
increase and improve the delivery of pro bono legal services when a lawyer
cannot or decides not to provide pro bono legal services through the
contribution of time. Also, there is no prohibition against a lawyer’s
contributing a combination of hours and financial support.

[10] Because the efforts of individual lawyers are not enough
to meet the need for free legal services that exists among persons of limited
means, the government and the profession have instituted additional programs to
provide those services. Every lawyer should financially support such programs,
in addition to either providing direct pro bono services or making financial
contributions when pro bono service is not feasible.

[11] Law firms should act reasonably to enable and encourage
all lawyers in the firm to provide the pro bono legal services called for in
this Rule.

[11a] The Utah Rule, unlike the Model ABA Rule, contains
paragraph (d) concerning voluntary reporting to the Utah State Bar. Voluntary
reporting is designed to provide a basis for reminding lawyers of their
professional responsibility under this Rule and to provide useful statistical
information. The intent of this Rule is to direct resources towards providing
representation for persons of limited means. Therefore, only contributions made
to organizations described in subsection (a) should be reported. Reporting
records for individual attorneys will not be kept or released by the Utah State
Bar. The Utah State Bar will gather useful statistical information at the close
of each reporting cycle and then purge individual reporting statistics from its
database. The general statistical information will be maintained by the Bar for
year-to-year comparisons and may be released, at the Bar's discretion, to
appropriate organizations and individuals for furthering access to justice in
Utah.

[12] The responsibility set forth in this Rule is not
intended to be enforced through disciplinary process.